


amber and buttercups

by shuuos



Series: undertangled (or Frisk and Varian become friends through very strange events) [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon Compliant, Crossover, Developing Friendships, Fluff, Humor, I ALMOST FORGOT THAT'S NOT EVERYONE'S DEFAULT, JUST FOR A BIT I PROMISE, Narrator Chara (Undertale), Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Other, ill add more as i go bc i still dont know how to tag, this is my first multichaptered fic in a long long time so bear with me here, to an extent tbh, uh it's a bit sad at first but then it gets happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 12:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17622818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuuos/pseuds/shuuos
Summary: So, apparently the timeline can glitch. This wouldn't be too much of a problem for Frisk, except now they're lost. In time. Or the multiverse. Who even knows at this point? Luckily for them, they're not the only one confused here...Varian is a man of science. If something happens, there has to be a logical reason for it, no matter how strange. So when a strange kid falls from the sky claiming to be from the future (or another dimension? They're not too sure), he naturally sets upon figuring it out.As they tend to do, things get weird quickly.





	1. once upon a time

**Author's Note:**

> so basically this is a fic of izadreamer's undertangled au where basically frisk and varian are friends!! i've become emotionally invested in this relationship so this was bound to happen tbh

 

_Frisk_

 

In their short life, Frisk would say that they’ve been through… a lot of weird stuff. Honestly, there’s nothing that can surprise them at this point.

Or that’s what they _thought._ Turns out the universe loves proving them wrong.

 

. . .

They have no idea where they are, except that it is dark. _*The void?_ Chara suggests calmly. The thought makes their blood run cold. They know what happened to Gaster - will it happen to them, too? Can humans even _be_ erased, the way monsters can?

Chara doesn’t seem to notice their fear, though, _*How did we get here? I do not remember falling into the CORE._

“*That - that’s not funny.” A bad taste rises in their throat, and they swallow it down. Void or not, they don’t want to throw up here. Just the thought makes their heart pound. _*I am sorry._ Chara says, but they say it in that voice they use when they’re not _really_ sorry, but feel like they need to say it anyways. Frisk doesn’t call them out on it, though. They probably didn’t _mean_ to scare them - they’re friends, after all.

Instead of answering, they stand up. Their legs feel weird, like they’ve been sitting too long. _*Somehow, it seems there is a solid surface underneath you. Try walking forward_. They carefully do so, relaxing a bit each step. It’s comforting, the thought that they’re not going to fall. “*I’m gonna look for a way out,” Frisk tells Chara.

It’s hard, though, when everything is black. They’re doing less looking and more flailing their arms around wildly. From inside their head, they can hear Chara laughing at them. Better at them than their scary jokes, though. So they go on in what they _hope_ is the right direction (because they don’t know what they’ll do if it isn’t.)

Chara stops talking after a while, like they’re thinking of something. Frisk pretends not to notice. It’s a bit too quiet without their chatter, though, and it scares them a bit. They wind up the music box in their locket, and listen to the song. It makes them want to cry, but better that than going crazy from how quiet it is.

_*Frisk…_ Chara says suddenly. Frisk doesn’t like the way their voice sounds, but it’s not enough to stop them from walking. _*Frisk,_ they say again, sounding even more worried now. They still don’t stop walking, because they want to get out of here _right now._

_*Frisk, there is no-!_

Instead of ground, they step right into - a hole? Off a cliff? They can’t really tell. But that’s not important because they’re _slipping_ and they can’t catch themselves, can’t keep themselves from falling. Again.

There’s nothing they can do now except for wait to hit the ground. Is there even any ground in the void? Or are they going to keep falling until they die? Would they be _able_ to die here?

Falling in the void is strange - it feels less like falling and more like they’re floating. Like the girl from that movie Alphys likes, the one about a floating kingdom. It’s not a good comparison, though, because they’d _love_ to be in that movie and they hate being here.

_*...is that a light?_   Frisk can’t see it, but they feel it burning them up. _Then_ they see it. It’s bright, brighter than the sun, and it’s _growing._ It eats up the darkness until they can’t see anything but white.

And eventually, that fades, too.

  


_Varian_

 

Varian is hauling equipment to his lab when the sky bursts into light.

 

It blinds him and leaves his head pounding, as if someone is hammering a nail into his skull. By the time it’s over, he’s gasping for air, hoping it’ll be enough to ward off the nausea.

Above him, there is a small silhouette, stark against the bright blue sky. At first, he thinks it’s a meteor, but as it descends, he can make out hair and clothes and _oh god that’s a person._ He watches as they crash into the trees and land with a dull _thud._

And just like that, the trance is over. Everything processes at once - _therewasalightandthenacometpersontheyfell_ theyfell - and he’s not sure what to do now. The scientific part of him is screaming to look, because whatever _that_ was, it definitely wasn’t natural. As if that wasn’t incentive enough, there’s a tugging sensation in his stomach, like something’s pulling him towards them. Weird.

Ruddiger jumps on his shoulder, shooting him an apprehensive look. Varian gives him a quick pat and mutters, “It’s ok, buddy, this’ll only a minute.” He’ll go in, see who it is, and then go get help if they need it. And they’re going to need it, because scientifically speaking, they’d at _least_ have a few broken bones, if they’re lucky.

Bile rises in his throat as he realizes they could be dying. Could be _dead._

Nope, nope, he is _not_ going to think about that. He’s just going to focus on seeing what happened right now, that’s all. He can worry about _that_ later. Besides, he can’t deny that he isn’t curious, and what kind of scientist would ever deny his own curiosity?

Not him, that’s for sure, he thinks to himself as he follows his gut into the tree grove.

 

The first thing Varian notices is the blood. There’s not that much - just near their head, but it’s still enough to make him feel woozy. Ruddiger digs his claws into his shoulder, reminding him what he’s here for, and he takes a deep breath. He doesn’t recognize their strange clothes. _Must not be from here,_ he thinks. They’re small, too; just going off of their height, he’d say they’re about half his age.

Between their arms, something flashes bright gold, catching his eye as he stumbles back a bit from the sheer amount of _blood._

__

He has to get his dad, a doctor, _anyone_ . He can’t - he wasn’t expecting so much _blood._ He‘s prepared to run when a sudden cold overtakes his wrist, as if someone with icy hands was grabbing him. _*The bleeding is superficial,_ a voice whispers in his head, _leaving will only make it worse._

_But they need help-_

_*Then help them! You cannot let anyone else know that we are here!_

Varian can’t tell if they are his thoughts or not, but he finds himself being pulled towards the child nonetheless. Ruddiger hops off and scampers to their side. He bats at their head, and they shift slight in response. He watches with baited breath as they lift themselves up, limbs shaking. After a moment of struggling, they somehow manage to get into a sitting position, tucking their legs underneath them.

_How-?_ A glimmer of pride, one that is not his own, rises up in him, and the icy grip holding on to him vanishes. At that moment, the child turns their unfocused eyes on him - well, in his direction. They blink once, twice, and slur in a strange accent, “*…Kara?”

Their face is bloodstained in a way that makes his stomach churn, so he tries to focus on their eyes, which are glowing even redder than the apples he feeds Ruddiger sometimes. Huh. That’s… weird.

For a moment, the two just stare at each other, though Varian can’t really tell if they’re looking at _him_ or in his general direction. Then, for _some_ reason, they reach for him with outstretched arms. They kind of look like Ruddiger when he wants to be held - _wait._

“You… you want me to _carry_ you?” The thought is foreign, _absurd_ , and he’s pretty sure moving them is a bad idea, but they don’t really give him a choice. Ignoring his protests, they lean forward and slump against him. Blood sluggishly leaks from them all the while, staining his clothes.

What’s he supposed to do _now?_ He’s not some kind enough of… childcare expert! He’s the opposite of a childcare expert-!

_*Oh my god, just carry them!_ the voice snaps. He readily obeys, slipping an arm under their legs and lifting them up. They only feel about as heavy as Ruddiger, much to his surprise (are kids supposed to be this light?). As if summoned by his thoughts, the raccoon chirps, holding a broken locket in his hands.

A deep sadness resonates within him, and Varian is startled by it. He’s never seen the thing before, why is he so upset at the sight of it?

Regardless, he allows Ruddiger to store it in the apron pocket, and picks up the broken pieces. From what he can tell, it’s not the actual locket that’s broken, but a music box _inside_ of it. He is relieved; machinery isn’t difficult to fix, as long as you have all the right pieces.

Ruddiger hops on his shoulder and he stands up, his legs only _slightly_ cramped. After a moment, he decides to head directly to his lab rather than try to pull a cart while carrying a child _and_ Ruddiger. He’ll come back for it later; there’s no reason for anyone to try and steal the materials.

. . .

_The voice was right_ , Varian thinks idly as he wraps thick bandages around the unconscious child. Other than the gash on their head and a few cuts on their hands, they’re completely fine. It’s more like they happened to stumble in a particularly rocky area than fell from the _sky._

They passed out sometime while he was carrying them, which he only figured out when he laid them down on the table. _God,_ he immediately assumed the worst with how limp they were then.  He just hopes they don’t fall off somehow.

Whatever he had been hearing back there, and he _knows_ he heard something, has gone silent. Quite frankly, he’s relieved. It was really starting to stress him out.

“Ruddiger!” Varian calls as he stumbles to his work-desk. “Tell me… when they wake up, ok?”

With a sigh, he slumps over the scattered papers in a dead faint.

  


_Chara_

 

Chara watches with amusement. The human boy seemed to be aghast at the sight of blood, but they did not realize to _this_ extent. The raccoon - Ruddiger? - stays seated next to Frisk, watching the boy anxiously.

_*It is alright,_ Chara tells it gently, _you can go with him._ “Ruddiger” stares at them instead. They blink, and remember that their locket is _still_ in the boy’s possession.

They do not feel comfortable with Frisk knowing it is broken, and they say softly, _*Actually, could you help me wake him up?_


	2. fallen down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk wakes up and meets new people. Turns out, getting trapped in the void and falling out of the void tends to leave you a bit... moody. No one is happy about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this chapter is very very short but bear with me here

_ Frisk _

 

The first thing Frisk notices when they wake up is that it’s  _ bright _ . And colorful. Nothing like the void. They’re not in the void, then. They’re also wrapped in thick bandages, the kind that mummies wear. They feel… okay, though, so why do they need bandages?

_ *Your DETERMINATION sped up the healing process, _ Chara says cheerfully. That doesn’t sound right, but they don’t know enough about DETERMINATION to argue. So instead, they sit up, looking around sleepily.

Something furry and gray is standing in front of them -  _ oh!! _

 

They can’t help but scream a little, and try to scoot away from the - what is that? - as fast as possible.  _ *It is just a raccoon!  _ It’s hard to see them, but they can feel Chara grab their arms and say,  _ *Have you never seen a raccoon before? _

Frisk shakes their head, “*No!” As the raccoon comes closer, they duck and hide behind Chara’s faint outline. They’re not  _ scared _ (and if Chara says that they were squealing, that’s a  _ lie _ ), they’re just… surprised!  _ *You live with monsters. You are their ambassador. You have magic. This should not be so spooky. _ They snort a little because  _ who says spooky anymore what the heck, _ but argue, “*I’m not spooked! It’s just-”

 

“Oh! You’re awake!” They both jump at the new voice, and a  _ human _ boy comes into view. He  scoops up the raccoon, black curls bouncing - his hair is  _ curly _ like theirs, though Toriel would never let them dye a streak of it like he did, it’s still something they can bond over! It’s smart to try and make friends when you’re lost, no matter  _ what _ Chara says. He frowns a bit, looks down at the raccoon, and asks, “Are - are you  _ scared _ of him?”

They shake their head profusely (seriously, why would they be scared?). The boy continues, “There’s nothing to be scared of, he just eats apples and  _ sometimes _ trash! That’s because he’s an omnivore, which means...“ Frisk doesn’t mean to tune him out, but  _ why _ does he sound like a teacher? That’s the  _ last _ thing they were expecting.

Chara nudges them,  _ *He is holding the raccoon out to you. _ They look up, and he’s looking at them expectantly. “See? He’s friendly!” They shakily reach a hand out for him, and gasp in delight, “*Oh! He’s soft!” The boy smiles at them, “His name is Ruddiger.”

Under their breath, they whisper a “hi” to Ruddiger and reach for Chara’s locket to rub it. It’s become a habit ever since they’ve left the Underground. But they  _ can’t feel it _ , why is it gone? “*My locket,” they murmur, “where is my locket?”

The boy blinks, and then says, “Your… oh! Uh, yeah, it - it broke, but don’t worry about it! I’m fixing it!” They feel cold,  _ frozen _ , “*...it broke?”

 

They’re  _ horrified. _ That was Chara’s, it was from  _ Asriel _ , and now they’ve gone and broke it - what kind of a friend are they?  _ *It is not that big of a deal, _ Chara reassures them awkwardly,  _ please don’t be sad _ . It doesn’t do much to keep their eyes from getting wet with tears.

“Oh, uh… so! What’s your name?” They recognize his tone, loud and rushed. It’s the same tone from…  _ then. _ Great. Just great.  _ *Tell him _ , Chara urges. And it’s weird, because Chara doesn’t just  _ trust _ people like that. Frisk does.

But if Chara trusts him, then they do, too, so they answer, “*Frisk.” It comes out sounding ruder than they mean it to. They wince at that. The boy either doesn’t notice or doesn’t mind, “That - that’s a nice name! I’ve never heard it before!”

_ My mama gave it to me, _ they almost say, but it’s not right anymore. Toriel is their mama now and she isn’t the one who named them. “My name’s Varian,” he continues, pointing at himself.  _ *Is that a common name nowadays? _ Chara asks softly. “*Not in Ebott.”

“Ebott? Is that where you’re from?” Ah. They thought they were being quiet. Frisk nods, and Varian lights up (they never understood what that meant before, but  _ now _ they get it), “Perfect! My dad has a map - we can look to see how far away it is!”

He swirls around and runs out of the room, yelling, “Just stay right there!” Ruddiger hops off the table after him. They stay where they are, of course. Where else would they go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nnNNEXT TIME ON AMBER AND BUTTERCUPS: Varian Contemplates things and revelations are had


	3. anticipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots internal monologuing, plus a relevation and Panic(TM).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i think i'll just update on here from now on?? bc it's a lot faster than uploading on tumblr soooo  
> who knows tbh  
> ALSO IM sORRY THIS IS A LATE UPLOAD BUT??? HAVE BEEN BUSY RIP

_ Varian _

 

_ Ebott. Ebott. _ Varian plays with the name in his head, trying to recall any conversations that might have mentioned it before. Nothing. The same goes for the name Frisk. He’s not even sure if it’s a real name. At least, not one that people actually  _ use. _

Whatever, he’s not going to judge. Varian rifles through the chest (of his dad’s belongings, but shhh) until he finds the well worn map. He takes a quick moment to check for any towns called Ebott. Still nothing. Probably a new town, then.

It doesn’t answer all of his questions (why were they falling? Why hasn’t he heard about this town before?), but he figures Frisk might be able to give him some clues.

Out of everything, he thinks they might be the strangest part of this puzzle. Their eyes are no longer red like before, but now green with brown flecked on the edges. Which is - ok it’s weird, but less disconcerting. So that’s a thing that happens now. He wonders if they’d let him run a test or two, try and see what’s going on with that.

He’s about to open the door to the lab when he hears them talking to someone. It’s more than he’s heard from them the entire time they’re awake. Instead of walking in, like he probably should have, Varian presses up near the door, trying to catch what they’re saying.

“*…sorry about your locket… I didn’t mean to break it… how long do you think it’ll take to get home? …so they won’t notice I’m gone? ...that’s good. I don’t want to worry them.”

They pause while they talk, almost as if listening for a reply that he couldn’t hear. He decides that they must be talking to an imaginary friend. Hopefully it’s not a habit of theirs.

It’s then that he decides to enter, quietly pushing the door open. Frisk stares at them from their spot on the table, looking as if they were caught red-handed doing something they shouldn’t have been. He strides in, lifting his hand to show the map.

“Actually, I have a  _ lot _ of questions for you…”

 

_ Chara _

 

The boy (Varian, Chara reminds himself, he has a name) keeps asking Frisk for irrelevant details. It is irritating them, honestly. Frisk wants to go home - who cares about why their eyes were red back there? They weren’t even  _ conscious _ then, how would they know?

They try reaching for the map themselves at some point, and honestly, who even  _ uses _ maps anymore, but their hand phases through. Right, they forgot that they weren’t technically tangible. How irritating. They are forced to settle for batting at Varian, recalling how he shivered at their touch.

It works; he shivers and steps back, allowing Frisk some room to hop off of the table. He spreads the map out on the ground, crouching down to assume a thoughtful stance. For whatever reason, Frisk copies it, staring at him with wide eyes.

Chara takes a second to scan the map and frowns. They don’t recognize  _ any _ of the places on there, are they from  _ after _ Chara died? No, they can’t have been, because Ebott isn’t on there, and Ebott’s a fairly old town. The geography is foreign to them as well, marking unfamiliar forests and mountains.

Varian takes no notice, and points to a dot somewhat near the center of the map,  _ “That’s _ where we are - Old Corona.” The name doesn’t ring a bell for them nor Frisk, who notes, “*I’ve never heard of that  _ or _ a new ‘Corona’.”

He gapes at them, asking in disbelief, “How-? How have you not heard of  _ Corona, _ it’s a huge kingdom!” They don’t miss the way he refers to “Corona”. They aren’t in the  _ medieval _ ages, why wouldn’t he call it a country?

_ *Ask what he means by kingdom, _ Chara suggests. Frisk listens, like they always do, “*Aren’t kingdoms  _ gone _ now?” They ponder on their words, then correct themself, “*Well, other than the monster kingdom, but they don’t really count, I think.”

Now Varian is the one staring at them strangely, “What do you mean ‘gone’? And monsters? I don’t - I don’t understand?” His tone reminds them of the voice adults use when they mean,  _ “What on Earth are you talking about, you crazy kid?” _ It leaves Chara feeling even more irritated.

They go back and forth like that, sharing details that leave the other looking confused. All the while, Chara turns the situation this way and that in their head, trying to see how the facts fit together to form this puzzle.

The thought hits them quite suddenly, but it’s almost too outrageous for them to accept at first. There’s no other way to explain the two’s conflicting perspectives. So they whisper their theory in Frisk’s ear. They kind of feel like an utter fool saying it out loud, but they can’t take their words back now.

“*Chara, that-” they hiss, “…makes sense, actually.” Their voice sounds calm, but they can feel the panic rising in their SOUL. “What makes sense?” Varian asks.  _ Please don’t answer, please don’t answer- _

And of course, they answer in a deceptively relaxed tone, “*Char-I think… we may not… be from the same world.” Honestly, what are they  _ thinking? _ No one in their right mind would believe that!

And just as they predicted, Varian watches them with a  doubtful gaze, “So you’re saying you’re from… some other world?” Frisk nods. Their anxiety doesn’t show on their face, but Chara doesn’t miss the way they shudder and twitch.

He’s silent for a minute or two, though it feels much, much longer than that, silent in thought. At best, he’ll humor them, but that won’t provide a real solution. At worst… Chara doesn’t really want to think about that right now.

They don’t know how to comfort Frisk. Nothing they think of feels natural or even possible _ , _ for that matter, and they curse how  _ stupid _ they are emotionally (they used to be so smart). After a moment of deliberation, they stay as they are. They can deal with this later.

Varian takes a breath, as if he’s about to say something, when a door far off opens quite loudly. They hear an unfamiliar voice call out, but pay no mind to what the new person is saying. It must be important to Varian, though, because he shoots up, almost stepping on the map in his haste.

“Stay here! I - we’ll talk about that in a bit!” he says urgently to Frisk, and with that, he rushes out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

They both stare after him, Frisk being the first to turn away and towards Chara. They are making no effort to hide their panic now, in both their face and their voice, “*Chara, what are we going to do?!”

They have no clue what to say now, and they continue, “*I don’t  _ wanna _ be here!” Chara snorts humorlessly at that,  _ *I don’t think you have a choice! _ They know they’re stressing out Frisk even more, but they don’t  _ know _ what else to say!

 “*I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” The last one is a whisper, almost too quiet for them to hear. They curl into themselves a bit, and in that moment they remind them so much of Asriel that it  _ hurts. _ They don’t cry, but it feels horrible to be so helpless nonetheless.

They don’t know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo this is p much the first Chara pov we got that's actually long, and i dunno, i think it turned out good?? chara's an interesting character to write


	4. unnecessary tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this took a ridiculous amount of time to finish im sorry :( IT LOOKED SO //LONG// FROM THE GOOGLE DOC TOO BUT IT'S. SHORT

_ Frisk _

 

_ Another world. Another world. _ They hate that it’s a real possibility. Frisk thinks about the conversation they had with Chara before Varian interrupted. They said that the void spit them out because they weren’t supposed to be there, but why would it leave them here…?

Well, they can add it onto the list of weird stuff that’s happened to them, but not right now because they can barely  _ think _ or  _ breath- _

They feel Chara’s cold hands on their shoulders.  _ *You need to breath, _ they say, and they would love to listen but they - they think they’re  _ dying. _ “*I can’t,” they whisper, their heart pounding in their ears.

_ *Yes, you can. _

“*Chara, Chara, I’m dying!” Their friend scoffs and places their hand over their heart,  _ *You’re not dying, see? _ They draw out their SOUL and show it to them. It’s as small as ever, and moving wildly, but not cracked.

They’re… alright. But they thought… they were certain… why couldn’t they breath, then? Chara smiles, and they can tell that it still doesn’t come naturally to them, but it’s the thought that counts, and their lungs seem to start working again. It’s a while before they can take very deep breaths, but they still try to gulp down as much air as they can.

Once they can breath again, Chara lets go of their SOUL,  _ *We’ll figure this out. You and me, just like in the Underground. We got out, didn’t we? _ They nod shakily.  _ *Then this will be a walk in the park for us. I bet that by this time tomorrow, we’ll be home and forget this ever happened. _

“*Really? By tomorrow?” Chara smiles,  _ *Definitely. _

 

_ Varian _

 

For  _ some _ reason, Varian doesn’t tell his dad about the kid in the basement. He doesn’t tell him about the fact that they fell from the sky and talk to the air. He’s lucky he remembered to clean his apron before Frisk woke up, because  _ that _ would have been awkward to explain.

Instead, he gets scolded for leaving the cart out where anyone can take it, and lamely argues back that he forgot it. As far as lies go, it’s completely transparent, but his dad either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. It’s fine, though, he’s a genius, after all. He’s invented entirely new  _ elements! _ How hard can taking care of a kid be?

 

Varian walks back into his lab, and it’s clear he’s missed a lot. Frisk is breathing heavily, face flushed and streaked with tearstains. Anything he was planning to say died in his throat, and he rushes to the table, almost knocking Ruddiger over in his haste.

“Wha - what’s wrong?” They startle, and turn to stare at him with wide eyes. Frisk shakes their head, “*It’s no-thing. Don’t worry about it.” He can’t help but fixate on the way their voice cracks. Great. He’s trying to take care of a kid for, what, an hour? And he’s already gone and messed up.

They seem calm now, though, so that’s a bit of a comfort. Without so much of a clue of what to do, he asks, “Can you tell me which direction your town is in? Maybe-”

“*I already  _ told _ you!” Their voice has the slightest hint of irritation in it, the first negative emotion they’ve shown him yet, “*It’s not here. It’s  _ not. _ Please believe me.” They whisper the last part, almost to the point where he can’t hear it at all.

 

Well, if it’s making them so anxious… He looks towards the machines he used with Rapunzel, the first time they met.

 

“You know what? Why don’t… let’s run some tests first, just to make sure.” He points towards said machines, “If there’s anything abnormal going on with you, those machines will tell us. Does - does that sound good?” Frisk nods, and moves to hop off the table, right as he leans in to pick them up.

 

“*Oh - I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to kick you!

 

“It’s… fine… jeez, those are some… reflexes you have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT bc the "every friday" schedule isnt... working out... i decided that im gonna change it to once every two fridays bc i need tiiiiiiiime 2 finish  
> i might post the conversation chara and frisk had while varian was gone tho sometime if u guys would wanna see it


	5. determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> filled with science, awkward letter writing, frisk FINALLY takign a nap,,,,,, they are EXTREMELY baby this chapter.....

_ Varian _

 

Varian tries to keep the tests simple - Frisk gives him a piece of wool from their tunic (a sweater, they called it) to analyze, and he sets to work on running it through the machines. It still lasts far into the night (science can’t be rushed, after all). Frisk retired to a corner of the lab once it had gotten dark outside, curling up in a nest of as many blankets as he could sneak down there.

He can’t lie, he’s left a bit irritated at how insistent they were on the whole “other world” thing. They could have already been home by now, if they’d  _ just _ tell him the truth. But then again, knowing where they live wouldn’t change the fact that they  _ fell from the sky. _ He can’t ignore how odd that is. Maybe they might have a point after all.

He snorts at the notion. There has to be a reasonable explanation. There’s nothing science can’t explain, after all. Varian gets back to deciphering the results of the tests.

_??? material - source: unknown _

That can’t be right. He reads over the data again. There must have been a mistake.

 

But that’s impossible. He doesn’t  _ make _ mistakes, and his machines certainly don’t. So  _ what _ was this, then?

_ Maybe Frisk knows, _ he thinks idly as he moves to wake the child up. It takes only a few shakes of their shoulder before they awaken, yawning, “* Wha-at is it?” They stare at him sleepily, one hand clutching the blanket and the other rubbing at their eyes.

The words don’t quite come out at first, and he isn’t sure if it’s because he’s nervous or if he’s just tired. But he finds them quickly, though they aren’t exactly  _ eloquent, _ “Uh - about the tests - there’s something in your… sweater that the machines didn’t… know about.”

They blink, and blink again, deep in thought. For a minute, it almost looks like they fell back asleep - until they mumble, “* M’be it’s the… polyster? ...ah,  _ polyester, _ sorry.”

“Come again?”

“* Yeah, i’ss s’posed to be good for the cold. Tha’s what m’ mama said, anyways. Can I sleep now?” He ignores that last bit, asking, “That’s… is that a common fabric where you’re from?” They shake their head, “* No, i’s plastic. I’m going to sleep now, okay?”

“Wait,  _ what-” _ He never gets an explanation on that. They fall asleep before he can demand answers.

 

Varian spends the next hour re-examining the wool - polyester, whatever  _ that _ is - and it yields the same results. An unknown material, not yet discovered, but definitely not wool. It feels surreal - he never expected to actually  _ find _ anything. He was just humoring their make-believe, trying to make them feel better. And now he’s gone and given himself a crisis.

_ Unless they really aren’t lying. _ The thought once again makes itself known, but this time, he takes the time to ponder over it. The evidence was there, showing that something weird was going on - the way they fell from the sky, the fact that their town wasn’t on the map, the “polyester”, heck, even how their  _ eyes changed color _ . Maybe not as drastic as a whole other world, but maybe their story has a grain of truth to it.

He needs more sources. Reliable sources, maybe records of strange events? And access to better materials, because he can tell his usual gear won’t cut it for whatever is going on.

_ Rapunzel. _ The thought hits him like a hit to the face, and he reaches for a quill.

 

~~_ Dear Rap _ ~~ _ Your Highness, _

~~_I need your help_ _I found a kid_~~ _ This morning, I found a lost kid. The  _ ~~_ child _ ~~ _ kid is ok now, so you don’t need to worry about them. However, it seems that somehow, they’re much farther from home than I originally thought. Now, you know I don’t believe in magic, but I believe the strange circumstances that they appeared in are worth looking into, and could advance our understanding of  _ ~~_ the world _ ~~ _ science.  _ ~~_ Help _ ~~ _ I could definitely figure out a way to get them home, but without the proper materials  _ _ and information _ _ , it’s proving to be very difficult. I would appreciate it if you could  _ ~~_ help _ ~~ _ offer your assistance, your Highness. _

 

_ Varian _

 

_ Chara _

 

The boy works until he passes out as his desk. Through it all, Frisk stays asleep. They don’t mumble or even move around, to the point where they almost look dead. It doesn’t bother Chara as much anymore, now that they know Frisk just happens to be a heavy sleeper. It’s a miracle the boy - Varian, they remind themself, they should use his name - manages to wake them up at all, and  _ keep _ them awake, at that.

Chara, of course, has no need for sleep. Which is a bit inconvenient, considering how  _ boring _ it gets when they’re the only one awake. But such is life, and so they watched quietly as Varian passes the letter he was writing to Ruddiger, the raccoon sneaking off before they could try and glean some information from it. And now he’s asleep, and they’re all alone. They sigh and settle down next to Frisk, doing their best not to disturb the other child, despite the fact that the worst they could do was make them cold.

This was going to be a long night.

 

. . .

 

Frisk is the first to wake up. They take their time, opening their eyes slowly then shutting them multiple times before they even get up. Once they do, they smile at Chara and yawn, “* Good morning.” Instead of saying it back, like they probably should have (and they cringe at themselves for their lack of manners, what would  _ Toriel _ say about that), they blurt out,  _ * You’re awfully calm, considering the circumstances right now. _

Their face goes completely blank as they think. It’s something Chara noticed about them when they first met - they’re energetic, but they have to build up that energy first. It’s nice, they suppose. Frisk shrugs after a minute and responds, “* I’m still kind of freaked out, but I already cried, so…” They don’t understand the logic behind it, but Frisk seems certain, so they don’t push any further.

“* I wanna go back to sleep,” Frisk announces suddenly, preparing to lay back down, “* I think I’m gonna just go back to sleep.” chara makes no move to stop them - Varian still hasn’t woken up, after all.  _ * Alright, _ they say,  _ I’ll wake you up when Varian wakes up. _

 

_ Frisk _

 

They dream of Toriel’s fireplace.

 

The fire is nice and warm when they stick their hand into it. Toriel is baking something in the kitchen, they can smell it. It’s safe and happy and  _ home. _

If they had the choice, they would stay there forever, doing nothing put staring at the fire and touching it.  _ Varian would like this, _ they think, and they don’t know for sure, but it’s warm and comforting so of  _ course _ he’d like it, right?

A sudden cold creeps over their shoulder. It doesn’t go away, even when they stick it in the fire. Why are they cold? They shouldn’t be - Toriel’s house is safe and warm.

_ * Frisk. _ That’s Chara’s voice. Why is Chara here?  _ * Frisk. _

 

_ * Frisk, wake up! _

  
This time, they flail themself awake, breathing heavily. Chara let’s go of their shoulder, hissing,  _ * There’s someone else here. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asgvdf i procrastinated this chapter a whole lot i s2g (the original plan was for this one and the next chapter being smushed into one, but i didnt wanna get this out late again rip)  
> the next one WILL be longer than this i promise


	6. home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE MOMENT U'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: more introductions and mysteries!!! :D  
> and i've learned im not entirely sure how to write the main trio yet but im doing my bestpacito

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK this was late but i was at my grandma's house all week last week so i couldnt rlly write much AND i wanted to get the LONG chapter i promised u all out there

_ Chara _

 

The golden girl’s aura practically leaks out of her. As she steps through Varian’s little lab, she stains her surroundings with her presence. It reminds Chara of a weighted blanket - heavy, but comforting all the same.

Her companions are a tall, roguish man and a darker-tinted girl with the air of a soldier. Their mind immediately goes to Undyne, and they force the image deep down. That’ll just make them homesick, and being homesick will not do them any good. So they focus everything else instead.

While they’re busy sizing up the guests, they can hear Varian whisper to Frisk, “That’s Rapunzel, she’s a… and that’s… Eugene… Cassandra.” They miss a few parts, but it’s not likely to be anything important. Frisk waves at the three shyly from behind Varian, only to be greeted by shocked declarations.

“Ohmygod that’s an  _ actual _ kid where did  _ you _ find a kid.”

“Forget that,  _ why _ do you have them here?  _ Here?” _ That one starts to make Chara think that this isn’t exactly the safest place for Frisk. Maybe they should think about relocating.

As Varian struggles to get the story out under the bombardment of the other two, the golden girl crouches down to Frisk’s height and says softly, “Hey there! What’s your name?” Her voice is what Chara imagines sunlight would sound like, warm and bubbly.

Frisk loosens their grip on Varian’s apron and answers hesitantly, “* Frisk.” If she notices their monster accent, she doesn’t say anything about it.

 

Then - and Chara swears no one else could see them except for Frisk - Rapunzel turns to  _ them _ and asks, “What about you?” They don’t respond at first, resisting the urge to turn around to make sure she isn’t talking to someone else because  _ they’re a ghost, what the heck? _ After a few moments of staring at her agape, they respond,  _ *…I am… Chara. _

Rapunzel smiles at them and stands back up, turning to Varian, “You never mentioned there were two kids?” Varian stares at her blankly, as do her companions. Frisk mumbles to Chara absentmindedly, “* She can see you?” They shrug in response. This world just keeps getting weirder and weirder - all the more reason to leave as soon as they can.

Varian turns to Chara, then back to Rapunzel, then to them again, the confusion practically written all over his face. They contemplate explaining, but decide against it; they hardly have any clue of what’s going on themself, after all.

There’s an awkward silence among the other three, no one willing to correct her. Varian breaks the silence first, yelling a bit too loudly, “Let me show you the test results!” He scrambles for the desk he was working at last night, the new humans and Frisk following suite. As Rapunzel passes by, they impulsively tap her shoulder, hoping it’s enough to get her attention. She turns, and even though their mind is screaming at them to  _ shut up, shut up Chara just leave it be, _ they whisper,  _ * They can’t see me, _ hold their finger to their lips  _ (please let that be a universal gesture it’ll be humiliating otherwise) _ , and stalk off to catch up with Frisk without another word.

 

_ Frisk _

 

Frisk thought they were the only one who could see Chara. They  _ were _ the only one who could see Chara. Until now, they guess.

Rapunzel still looks confused - thanks for being all mysterious,  _ Chara _ \- but they’re not sure what they’re supposed to say.  _ “Yeah, my friend’s a ghost and no one’s supposed to be able to see them.” _ They’re lucky Varian believes them at all, that’s pushing it a little.

But everything’s kind of awkward now, and they should probably do something about that. Varian pulls out the bit of their sweater they let him have, and starts explaining something about wool and polyester - they’re too busy to really pay attention.

* _ Frisk, don’t you dare. Don’t you dare! _ Chara whisper-shouts, but they ignore them to tug on Rapunzel’s dress, instead. She looks down at them, smiles brightly, and asks, “Yes?” They take a deep, deep breath, and with all the confidence in their body, say matter-of-factly, “* You seem familiar, have we met?”

“Hm… well, maybe, I’m not sure if we’ve  _ met- _ met, but -“

“* Wait, I know! It’s ‘cause I’m always seeing you in my dreams!” They top it off with finger-guns and a wink; Mettaton said it helps with their “charm”. Whatever that means.

 

Everyone is silent. Again. With their face in their hands, Chara groans loudly,  _ * You are a terrible, terrible child. The absolute worst, oh my god. Why would - why - I can feel myself losing my domestication, are you happy now - _

Rapunzel bursts out in laughter, the other two joining in as Varian rushes to them. He scoops them up, face a bright red, and hisses to them, “Frisk, you can’t just go around flirting with - with  _ royalty, _ what the-”

She waves him off with a shaking hand, “It’s ok, it’s ok!  _ Pfft _ \- who taught you  _ that _ one?” They smile proudly, “* I came up with it myself!” In the background, they hear Cassandra smugly ask Eugene, “How does it feel knowing a  _ kid _ is smoother than you?” It seems the only two people who are actually  _ bothered _ are Varian and Chara. Interesting.  _ It’s gonna be  _ so _ fun to mess with them. _

Speaking of Varian, he seems to calm down a bit, setting them aside on the table, which  _ should _ bother them. But it doesn’t, because they get it, they’re very small (Alphys called them a baby once, which they still don’t understand but whatever, it’s fine).

He pulls out the fuzzy sweater-stuff and some sort of paper, and they’re surprised he still  _ has _ it, maybe he’s really good at not losing stuff? It’s a little weird that he’d want to hold onto it, but they’re not going to judge. Chara seems just as confused,  _ * He is quite focused on the polyester. _

They’re not kidding, either. Varian practically shoves the paper into Rapunzel’s hands, saying, “Look  - look, it’s an  _ unknown _ material and I thought that was pretty weird because it’s just wool, right? Wrong! I don’t know  _ where _ it’s from, but this doesn’t resemble  _ any _ fabric from Corona! And also - and also there’s the manner of how Frisk got here. Frisk, Frisk, you tell them!”

They jolt. Why is he bringing them into this, and how does he know about the void? They nervously clear their throat and start, “* Well, I fell asleep at home, and when I woke up, I was in this reeaaaaally dark place, so I started wandering around, then I fell down some hole? I think it was a hole, and fainted and woke up in Varian’s lab, I guess.”

 

Varian stares at them strangely, “Wh - but - you didn’t… you don’t remember how you  _ fell _ from the sky?” The others look just as confused as they feel, though probably for different reasons, now that they think about it. “* I… what?”

Chara lifts themself onto the table and nods,  _ * He is correct. The only reason he believes you should remember is because you seemed to be conscious. Your DETERMINATION working to keep you alive, most likely. _

If Varian is disturbed, he doesn’t show it, just moves on, “It’s alright, Frisk, anyways! Here’s the clincher, when I found them, I immediately started trying to figure out how to get them home, right? So when I woke up, I asked them what their town was called. Frisk, what’s your town called?”

“*…Ebott? But it’s not on the map…”

“Because it doesn’t exist! At least, not here! So there’s my point, I can’t get Frisk home because it’s  _ not in our world!” _ Chara rolls their eyes,  _ * Incredible. It’s not like we figured that out, let’s see, hours before he did! _

“* Be nice, Chara,” Frisk whispers under their breath. He’s really doing his best, they know they wouldn’t have believed the whole “other world” thing if they were in his shoes.

Cassandra especially seems unconvinced, “Listen, Varian, you’re a smart kid and all, but isn’t that a little… impossible?” Eugene nods slightly, though Rapunzel looks thoughtful. Huh. This must not be too weird for her, because they definitely get weird vibes from her, look at that  _ hair. _ But Varian still frowns, which looks really sad on him, like looking at an upset puppy.

So they decide that they might as well do something about it, “* What if I could prove it?”

 

Cassandra shrugs, “Go ahead, then.” Ok, ok, that’s pretty much permission, great! They just hope that they can dreg up enough magic to do something neat. Toriel’s been teaching them how to make little fireballs like her, that should be easy!

They cup their hands in front of them and focus.  _ * In time, it will become effortless, _ they remember Toriel saying,  _ but for now, just try to think about warmth on your fingers and in your veins. _ It’s kind of confusing advice, but the flame appears nonetheless, tiny and pinkish.

Even Chara seems surprised, clapping happily,  _ * Wow! Good job! _ It’s weird, hearing them so genuinely excited. There’s a chorus of “whoas” from everyone else, in various tones. Rapunzel gasps, “You’re magic, t- I mean, you can do magic?” They nod. Maybe they can explain the “monster” part of it later, but they add, because it feels important, “* You can touch it, if you want. It doesn’t hurt.”

Surprisingly enough, though they guess not really, Varian’s the first to take them up on the offer. The fire splits around his hand, covering it. He laughs in response, “Wow, that’s… how are you  _ doing _ that?” They shrug, because he seems like the logical type, and you can’t exactly explain magic with science.

There’s curiosity in Rapunzel’s eyes, but she doesn’t touch it, so they hold the fire out to her quietly. To their relief, she gets the idea, and reaches out.

That seems to be the wrong move - the fire roars up in their hands, glowing bright gold. She stumbles back, and Frisk would have, too, but it doesn’t get any hotter. If anything, the warmth just feels different, like sunlight on their skin. Weird. They do flinch a bit, though.

“* Oh, that’s spooky,” they say once the fire dies down. It’s not really the best reaction.

They brace themselves for shouts of anger, but instead there’s just silence. Right, right, they should get out of that habit, no one’s going to yell at them anymore.

Varian waves his hands excitedly, “Your eyes changed color again!”  _ Again? _ When did they change in the first place? Frisk shrugs for the hundredth time, “* They do that sometimes.” They don’t really feel like explaining DETERMINATION to everyone right now - they hardly even get how it works.

“Well, that’s not - it’s not - see! This proves my point!” They nod agreeingly, there. He’s got a lot of evidence for literally just a day (it’s only been a day,  _ wow) _ . There’s no way anyone would not believe them now!

…except for these three. Rapunzel’s the only one who doesn’t look that doubtful, but then again, she’s a princess, so that’s probably a win. “Right,” Eugene mumbles, “kid’s not from around here. And they have fire hands, not the weirdest thing ever.” They don’t think they were supposed to hear that.

 

The adults only stay for a little bit afterwards, mostly talking to Varian. Rapunzel looks over at Chara curiously once in a while. They want to tell her, but if Chara didn’t, then it’s probably for a reason. OK, they won’t say anything, then.

They leave with promises to help, the kind where it’s hard to tell whether they mean it or not. “* Are you sure they’ll help?” they ask Varian, because he must have heard the doubt, too, right? But he seems as confident as ever, “Of course! Rapunzel  _ always _ keeps her promises! And she’s pretty much the nicest person ever!”

_ * Yeah, I dunno. They did not seem too sold on the whole “other world” thing. _

They decide to ignore Chara and ask again, “* And I didn’t… mess it up? With the whole fire thing…” Varian pats them reassuringly, “Hey, don’t worry about it. You didn’t do anything wrong, OK?”  _ Oh. _ When was the last time someone’s told them that?

 

_ Varian _

 

_ Oh no, I messed up, _ Varian thinks as Frisk sniffs and wipes at their eyes. He  _ thought _ they wanted some reassurance, was he wrong?  _ Why are kids so… complicated? _

“Are you OK?” he asks softly, taking a step back. Frisk shakes their head, “* Yeah, yeah, it’s just… it’s nothing.” Alright, then, it’s fine if they don’t want to talk about it, but… he should distract them or something,  _ how… _

“Do you… do you want to see something blow up?” Frisk perks up almost immediately, voice shaky, “* Is it… is it safe?” Well,  _ that’s _ a bit of a tough one. Varian shrugs, “As safe as it can be.”

Satisfied with that answer, Frisk nods and jumps off the table. OK, he should probably take back that statement from before. If all it takes to calm a kid down is an explosion, then he’s definitely got this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "hey bo why r all of ur drawings for amber and buttercups just frisk?" u ask  
> "oh it's bc they're my favorite haha" i tell u  
> but little do u know  
> its bc they're the easiest to draw  
> same reason why all the science talk always happens during their perspective  
> for real tho, i think im gonna do three (3) more chapters of just frisk and varian getting to kno each other and all that, and THEN get into queen for a day >:3c it's gonna be great


	7. heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmares start happening during the second night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy remember that "nightmares" tag i have up there? :)  
> ok joakes aside there's no way Frisk's just all fine and dandy after everything that happened in the underground, ok, so they're a bit snappish in this chapter

_ Frisk _

 

The nightmares start happening during the second night.

 

_ It starts out the same way as always - they fight Asgore. They die too many times to count. Asgore dies. And then darkness. Flowey’s voice. _

_ The human SOULS are attacking them. - no, helping them? _

_ It doesn’t matter. Flowey kills them again. And again. And again. _

_ They aren’t in control anymore, their SAVE file is gone. _

_ This is real, permanent. As long as Flowey wants it to be. _

 

_ * This is all just a bad dream… _

_ * And you’re NEVER waking up! _

 

Frisk wakes up with a shout. It’s that dream again, they  _ hate _ that dream. Chara is staring at them sadly, like they know what they were dreaming about.

_ * Flowey again, huh? _ They just huff and lay down again, “* I’m not scared of Flowey, anymore.”

_ * You know, it’s alright if you’re not- _

“* Chara, I’m  _ fine.” _ They like Chara and everything, but it got frustrating with them being so… overbearing sometimes. Luckily, they get the hint, and leave Frisk alone. They really  _ are _ fine, they just need a little bit.

 

_ The second dream is completely different. Their hair is longer, they’re wearing a green and yellow sweater, and there is a knife in their pocket. Desperation flows through them like blood,  _ what is my name? Fri-Kris, Kris, my name is Kris, and I am my own person.

_ That’s not true though. As long as this - this SOUL is in them, they are someone else. So they have to get rid of this SOUL. Yes, that surely is the only answer. If they can get rid of the SOUL, they will become themself again. _

_ Friskris holds their hand up, trembling. It is not out of fear, though, but excitement for what’s to come. This will be interesting. _

_ Suddenly, they plunge their hand into their chest, and Frisk is torn out of the body. Kris slams them into a birdcage with a wicked grin. _

_ A laugh rips through the body’s corpse as they hold the knife up, taking care to make sure that Frisk could see. It’s like someone splashed ice-cold water on them; what do they do if the body goes after someone? What  _ can _ they do? What - _

 

_ * Frisk, wake up. _ This time, Chara shakes them awake. Frisk jerks right through them as they scramble to sit up, “* Wh… wha… that obvious, huh?” They scoot to the side and nod, murmuring,  _ * It felt different, though. I do not recall that ever happening. _ Frisk frowns, “* You… you can see my dreams?

_ * Only bits - _

“* I didn’t know that! Do you see all of them?”

_ * I see enough of them. _

“* You - what’s that supposed to mean?” Chara shrugs and stands up like they never even heard them. They hate it when Chara shuts down like that, but they usually don’t mind.  _ Usually. _ “* Chara!”

 

“Frisk?” Varian calls out sleepily from his desk, “Are you talking to your friend again?”

 

_ Oh no, _ Frisk thinks,  _ I woke him up. _ They shake their head even though Varian can’t see them from here, “* No, I’m just - sorry for waking you up.” They hear the chair sliding back as Varian says, “Well, I never actually went to bed, so, uh… you’re fine.”

_ * Yikes, really? He has been awake all day, then. Talk about self-destructive. You should go talk to him or something. _

“* Should I?” Frisk whispers back. Even as they ask, they stand up and head over to Varian, dragging a blanket with them. Ruddiger chirps at them. They fight the urge to chirp back because that’s kind of weird and not what they’re here to do.

“Oh! Did you want to see what I’m working oooon - what are you doing.” They cover Varian in the blanket, stretching out to make sure it covers as much of him as possible. “* You should sleep.”

Varian looks surprised, like no one has told him that before. He definitely answers like it, “Wha - I’m fine, really!” He squints at them, “Besides, shouldn’t I be saying that to  _ you?” _ Right, right. That’s going to be fun to explain.  _ Not. _

 

_ Varian _

 

Watching Frisk is like watching a kicked puppy whimper and whine. Literally just the saddest thing ever.

“* Well, uh,” they start in that strange accent of theirs, “it’s kinda… I… couldn’t sleep.”  _ That’s strange, they were just fine last night. _ “Are you homesick?” It seems most likely; after all, they don’t look  _ physically _ sick. But they shake their head and mumble, “* No… well, yeah, but…” They look nervous, almost like they’re  _ scared _ to go back to sleep. Oh.  _ Oh. _

“...do you have nightmares?” Frisk nods slowly, holding up two fingers. “Two of them? Tonight?” They nod again, and he winces a bit in sympathy. The poor kid can’t seem to catch a break. “Do you, uh… want to talk about it?” he tries. They shake their head, blinking away tears furiously. He feels a bit guilty at the bubble of relief that pops up. He’s no good at talking about emotional stuff anyways.

Still, Frisk is upset and it’d be irresponsible not to do anything about that, so he goes for a different approach, “Do you need a hug? Or something?” People like physical contact when they’re upset, right? That’s what he’s read, anyways. It seems to work, anyways, because Frisk nods, and he gets up from the chair, muscles screaming from the sudden movement after hours of sitting.

He’s not entirely sure whether he’s supposed to pick them up or bend down, but he decides on the latter, kneeling down to their height (and  _ wow, _ they really are small for their age). They hesitate, and shiver a bit - maybe they didn’t think he was serious and now he’s gone and made things awkward?

Then they pretty much launch themself at Varian, knocking him over. They mumble wavering apologies between sobs, which is  _ literally _ one of the saddest things he’s ever seen. “Hey, hey, are you… alright?” It seems kind of pointless to ask, and even more pointless to answer, but they shrug a bit, “* Dunno.”  _ Ooook this is stressful what do I  _ do. Taking care of kids is stressful, actually, and he is  _ not _ qualified for this.

His shoulder grows cold, which is already weird on its own, but a somewhat familiar voice whispers, _* They don’t enjoy talking when they’re upset, just keep on doing what you are doing._ _“Hello freaky voice that I’ve only heard from once,”_ Varian would say if he weren’t trying to calm down a panicking kid, but he (kind of) appreciates the advice anyways.

So he doesn’t say anything, just stays still and lets Frisk cry on his shirt, making a mental note to tell them later that they don’t need to apologize for being upset.

 

_ Chara _

 

Maybe this isn’t the worst dimension - timeline -  _ whatever _ \- to be stranded in. Sure, everyone is strange and acts odd, but no one is trying to kill Frisk. Which is a pathetically low bar, but hey, little victories and all that. So they suppose they can entrust Varian with Frisk’s care while they try to find a way home.

_ I do hope he will not do anything to prove me wrong, _ they think to themself,  _ he doesn’t seem like a malicious person.  _ Of course, if they’ve learned anything, it’s that anyone can turn out bad, even Asriel and Asgore, who were, without a doubt, some of the most virtuous people in the world.

_ Maybe I should keep an eye on him? …no, even I can tell he’s not the evil type. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chara, like, a few chapters later: wow! i could not have been more wrong!  
> yeah there's a deltarune reference, it just kinda... wormed its way in there. anyways the next couple of chapters r probably gonna be a bit short until we reach the Turning Point(TM)


	8. mysterious place (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Varian go on a walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry for taking an extra week and not even having that long of a chapter to make up for it :( have a two-part chapter

_ Chara _

 

Frisk doesn’t work up the courage to ask until the second week, which, Chara admits, they are disappointed - but not surprised - by.

But a few days after Varian’s father (who looks  _ nothing _ like Varian, honestly, and they have a very strange relationship) leaves, they can’t remember why, the boy announces that he is almost completely done with the locket.

The only problem, according to him, is that there’s a piece missing from the music box, one that he can’t replace from inside the lab. It takes Chara a few minutes to realize that he means he’s going out for a while, and then a few more to wonder why he sounds so grave. It hits them quickly, though, as dense as they are nowadays.

_ * It seems he believes you should stay in here, _ they mutter to Frisk,  _ is  _ that  _ what you want? _

_ _

They only ask out of courtesy, they already know Frisk wants to go outside. It doesn’t take a genius to notice how they’ve been stealing glances at the windows for the past few days. Just like they knew they would, Frisk shakes their head a little.

“* Can I… can I come with you?” It’s quiet and hesitant, but at least they’re actually saying something. Chara honestly thought they would have to possess them and  _ make _ them ask, which would have been unpleasant on all ends.

Varian seems honestly surprised by them speaking up. He’s speechless for a few seconds, as if he’s trying to find the right words, until he finally answers, “Yeah, why not? You just… might want to consider wearing something else.”

“* What’s wrong with my sweater?”

“Nothing, nothing! …except that it kind of stands out.”

“* Oh. That makes sense.”

“You could wear one of my shirts, if you want?”

“* I mean, I kind of  _ have _ to. We could make it into a toga.”

“A what.”

 

_ Varian _

 

About 10 minutes later, Varian finally finds a shirt that’ll  _ kind of _ fit Frisk. It’s like having a younger sibling, if that sibling fell from the sky and probably came from some kind of other world. Actually, that must be what it’s  _ actually _ like, to be honest.

The shirt goes all the way down to Frisk’s knees, and clearly hangs off of them like a snake shedding its skin, but looks convincing nonetheless. He’ll just say he’s babysitting them or something.  _ That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing, anyways. _ He thought this whole… situation would end up with him discovering other worlds, not successfully taking care of another human being for two weeks.

Well,  _ semi- _ successfully. But he’s picking everything up as he goes, so it’s fine.

 

The first thing Frisk does when they go outside (and yeah, he’ll have to do this more often, noted) is do a cartwheel. And then another. And another. They collapse on the ground in a fit of laughter, and it’s pretty much the happiest Varian has seen them yet.

“Enjoying the sunlight?” he asks teasingly, catching up to them quickly. There is a breeze of cold air that rushes by him, but it’s not that weird anymore. In fact, he could almost say he’s used to it. Frisk nods, bouncing back on their feet, “* Are we going now?” There’s a sparkle in their eye that wasn’t there before.

He nods back, and, remembering how easily he could pick them up, adds, “It’s a bit of a long walk, so if you get tired, I could  _ totally _ carry you the rest of the way.” Frisk giggles a bit  _ (yeah, just wait until you see I  _ can, Varian thinks), like he’s just said something incredibly hilarious. In the back of his mind, he can hear a young voice laughing along, but it’s so quiet that he decides it’s probably just him.

“Laugh all you want, Frisk, but you’re not going to be laughing when you get tired!” he tells them teasingly.

 

Varian had clearly underestimated Frisk, because they’re still bouncing around without a  __ care in the world and his legs are  _ dying. _ They even have the  _ audacity _ to tell  _ him _ to hurry up when he can’t use his height as an excuse for walking slow.

“The  _ nerve… _ I’m twice their age,  _ what…” _ Ruddiger presses against his ankle in sympathy. The voice in the back of his head laughs again, after being quiet for  _ 30 minutes, _ the jerk,  _ * Your fault for challenging them. This is entertaining, though, so by all means, keep it up. _ At this point, he’s learned to just accept the sarcastic… whatever it is. They’ve never answered any of his questions.

“* Varian!! Come on, let’s go!” Frisk calls again, and this time they even dare to do a few more cartwheels. He shuffles a bit faster, moaning, “Can’t we take a break?”

“I dunno,” they say, shrugging, “do  _ you _ need a break?” His pride stings a bit at that. With a huff, Varian mumbles,  _ “I _ don’t need a break, I just think  _ you _ need a break.” They smile and nod, stopping to let him catch up.

 

He can’t  _ wait _ until they get to Corona. This walk is much less fun than he thought it would be.

 

_ Frisk _

 

The rest of the way to Corona is quick after their break. The air is cool, reminding Frisk that it was fall when they got lost. They want to ask Varian if it’s fall here, too, but he seems busy huffing and puffing.  _ Like a big, bad, wolf, _ they think, which makes them giggle. Varian’s the last person to be big and bad.

The kingdom itself is on an island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The fact that it looks a little like their old home makes them feel a little sad. Not the painful kind of sad anymore, though, so maybe it’s not that bad.

_ * Wow. It’s really a kingdom. With a castle and everything. _ Frisk nods, because that was the  _ dumbest _ thing they’ve ever heard get said, but they’re not going to tell Chara that.

“Well! Here we are! Just stay close to me and you probably won’t get lost, okay?” Varian says, and they don’t miss the “probably” part. It’s fine though because even though Frisk is good at getting lost, they’re twice as good as finding their way again.

There are people talking and children playing on the streets. They suppose it’s safer to do that here, without cars and stuff.

It’s kind of like the Underground. Everyone is friendly, smiling at them and Varian as soon as they arrive. How friendly. “Oh, how sweet!” one woman says, “Did your brother take you on an outing?” They shake their head, “* No, he’s not my brother, he’s just, uh… watching me. While my parents are out.” “Babysitter” would have been shorter to say, but they don’t know if that word’s been invented yet.

The buildings look kind of like ones from Europe, they think. And they must be spending too much time looking, because Varian tugs them along softly and asks, “Do you want me to carry you, Frisk?” He doesn’t wait for them to answer and turns to pick them up.

They’re not sure where he’s going now. It’s fine, though; the buildings are pretty and nice to look at. “* Do we  _ have _ to go after you get your thingy?” They feel kind of bad asking, but they already asked to go outside, this can’t hurt much.

“We can go wherever you want after we’re done, ok, Frisk?” Varian mumbles.  _ Anywhere I want? _ That’s going to be hard since they’ve never been here, but it’s the thought that counts, “* OK.”

They look at Chara over Varian’s shoulder. The ghost smiles and gives them a thumbs up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l i s t e n idk how far apart corona and old corona r but if Varian can get there in the span of a three-minute song then so can Frisk  
> not pictured during the walk: Chara roasting Varian relentlessly *chara voice* get REKT NERD


	9. mysterious place (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get a bit deeper (just a bit, though, you all know me).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> grrRRrr i had so many ideas for this chapter but it ended up being Chara Introspection(TM) bc i couldn't get all of them out right >:((

_ Varian _

 

Luckily for him, the piece that he needs for Frisk’s locket exists in this universe (isn’t that an  _ exciting _ thing to be able to say?). There’s also a nice wrench, and his hasn’t been working right, so he goes and buys it, too. He  _ does _ have the money through some miracles (small jobs, unfortunately); besides, he’ll need it for the machine he plans to build to get Frisk home.

Speaking of Frisk, he shopkeeper raises his eyebrows at them, but, thankfully, says nothing. One lady already thought he was their brother, and he doesn’t need  _ that _ getting out, much less reaching his dad.

Wouldn’t that be a fun thing to explain.  _ “Hey, Dad, I’ve been keeping a kid in the basement for two weeks! Also, they’re from a whole other world!” _

Ruddiger is waiting outside for them when they exit, leaning against Frisk and then Varian. The raccoon’s taken a liking to Frisk, he’s noticed. Unrelatedly, of course, his apples has mysteriously been going missing. How strange and not at all linked to Frisk.

“* What’re we gonna do first, Varian?” they ask in excitement. He doesn’t have much money left, and he was really hoping Frisk would have tired themself out by now. Dang. Now he’s gonna have to improvise, which  _ never _ goes well. Ideas, ideas…

“Oh!” Varian says, a bakery catching his eye, “How about we go get something to eat?”

They follow his gaze and nod, “* OK.” It’s a bit of a jarring mood change, and not the response he was hoping for at all, but it could be worse, he guesses.

_ Should I pick them up again or are they fine? _ Varian wonders to himself as they head off towards the direction of the bakery. They seem perfectly content to hop on the rocks, though, so he guesses the latter.

The smell of freshly-baked bread wafts through the air, not-so-subtly reminding him that he hasn’t eaten at all in the past hour except for a few snacks that Frisk ate the majority of.  _ What do you know, this was a good idea! Great job, Varian. _

 

Through some stroke of luck (maybe the universe apologizing for literally everything), the food is relatively cheap. He’s only left with a few coins, sure, but he  _ could _ have been left in debt. And naturally, he tells this to Frisk, because it’s a life lesson or whatever.

“* You don’t go into debt ‘cause of some bread, you go into debt ‘cause of college,” they tell him after inhaling their cookie.  _ College - _ he knows that word, it’s apparently their universe’s version of university. Or another kind of university. It doesn’t seem like they’re entirely sure.

“First of all,” he responds, “you’re, like, six, you wouldn’t know, and  _ second _ of all, only rich people go to college so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.”

They give him a strange look, “* Everyone’s s’posed to go to college or else you’ll - oh, that hasn’t been invented yet. I miss McDonald’s.”

That last part is muttered under their breath, quietly enough for him to get the idea that he wasn’t supposed to hear it.

“I don’t get it, though? If they’re making people who can’t afford it go,  _ why _ aren’t they paying for it?” Varian continues, ignoring the fact that he’s debating with a  _ six-year-old _ because he’s pursuing knowledge, that doesn’t matter.

“I dunno, Varian,” they say, holding up six fingers, “I’m only this many.”

“Alright, that’s fair.” They sit there in silence for a bit, Varian giving bits of his bread to Ruddiger and Frisk staring outside the window.

He’s never really thought about how different all of this would seem to them. Would he be like that if he was in their world?  _ I wonder what their world is like. _

It’d be different from his, that’s for sure. He tries to picture a place he could see Frisk living in - colorful and bustling. Would everyone have the same accent as them? Would they dress the same? He’s been trying not to overwhelm them, but he wants to  _ know! _

“Hey, Frisk,” he says suddenly, “I know this  _ great _ candy store we could go to if you’re not full!” Is he above bribing a kid? No, not really.

 

_ Chara _

 

They should have told Frisk to stop talking as soon as they brought up college. Now Varian is  _ curious _ and he’s going to ask them  _ questions _ and it will mess up the whole timeline. At least, they  _ think _ it will. Time travel movies are not exactly the most accurate comparisons.

He takes Frisk along the streets, which are bustling in a way they cannot remember Ebott ever being. Almost like the Underground, if one ignores the sunlight and humans.

That doesn’t make this place home, though, of course. It is a strange land filled with strange people and they would have liked for Frisk to have been home at least a week ago. They understand why it’s been taking so long for Varian to finish the machine, they really do, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. And what about the friends they left behind? Surely they’re working on something, too.

Varian leads Frisk into a quaint-looking candy store.  _ * Don’t forget the chocolate, _ Chara reminds them quietly. They don’t really feel like following - they can’t eat any of the sweets there. And besides, they would much rather go people-watching.

 

A slight breeze blows right through them, a feeling they still haven’t gotten used to. There is no wind in the Underground, after all.

Children run through and around them in play, and Chara recoils whenever one gets to close. Perhaps they are a massive hypocrite, but they never quite enjoyed the company of other children. The only two they can stand are Frisk and their brother.

And with that, they finally realize why Varian’s personality has grated on their nerves at times - he is at least twice their age, and yet much more immature than them. Everyone here, now that they think about it, has a sort of childish air around them. It’s like stepping into a cartoon.

Now there’s a thought. They know their own universe is kind of a game (which would mean there is an all-powerful player, but this is not that story), but does that apply to other worlds?

It’s interesting enough to distract Chara from their people-watching. It’s a bit of a morbid idea if one thinks about it too much, but Chara is rather fond of morbid. They want to discuss this with Frisk, if only to see their reaction -

 

They see the aforementioned child out of the corner of their eye, carrying a cupcake with an unreasonable amount of pink frosting on top.  _ Honestly _ , no cupcake should have frosting taller than it, at that point, it’s just a baked plate and people need to understand that. But that’s beside the point.

Chara’s definitely not going to tell them their theory; as they approach Frisk, they can see tears of gratitude shining in the other child’s eyes. Yeah, no, Frisk always gets  _ so _ emotional when they eat sugar and it’s exhausting, quite frankly.

_ * Are you enjoying that abomination of a pastry? _ they ask in amusement. Frisk nods so violently they manage to get a little frosting in their head. Chara has to physically hold their head still,  _ * Calm down, or else everyone will think you are crazy. Wait, no, they’ll  _ know _ you are crazy. _ Luckily for the both of them, Varian is busy talking about something Chara can’t begin to make heads or tails of. Not that they really care, to be honest.

Frisk giggles stupidly, but the noise ceases to irritate them the way it used to. After all, laughter means happiness, and God knows they all need a little more of that in their lives (or afterlife).  In between breaths, they whisper, “* Varian says he’ll finish the locket today, and - and then he’ll work on the, uh, the other thingy.”

Oh. Chara can feel themself begin to smile, wider and wider like a rising sun. That is some good news indeed. Ruddiger stares at them with concern that is  _ way _ too humanlike, but whatever,  _ he’s _ not trapped in another timeline (world? Who knows at this point), so he can’t judge.

They’ll be going home soon. All they have to do is wait a little longer.

 

_ Frisk _

 

It’s halfway through the walk back to Varian’s house when they notice.

There is a strange feeling in their chest that they recognize as anxiety. It’s the same feeling when they would die and reset to right before a particularly difficult battle. Something bad is going to happen; they don’t know what, or  _ when,  _ but something will go wrong.

There are rocks starting to grow out of the ground, black and spiky. Whenever Frisk gets too close, something - like an invisible hand - pushes them back. They feel like the opposite of the SAVE points, dark and cold instead of bright and warm. But there’s still a tug in their SOUL at the sight of them. Maybe they’re this world’s SAVE points, and that’s why Frisk can’t use them?

They want to ask Varian about the rocks, but decide against it. Maybe they’re normal.

 

“Oooooh, what the - what the  _ heck, _ they’re  _ everywhere!” _ These rocks are  _ not _ normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HM frisk is getting nervous..... Inch Resting........  
> also here's a survey for u guys that is not at all related to the next chapter :) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdisCDFG-rvQnu03L0Xv-9iOneY9xIzgLADXPOGG5mG5fo1g/viewform  
> speaking of the next chapter, it's gonna take a while since im doin a lot this summer break rip

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact: the scene where Chara and Varian "meet" was originally going to be them kicking his shins to try and get his attention bc Chara's always struck me as a shin-kicking kind of kid! of course, that ended up Not Happening, but it was still funny regardless  
> ok im gonna upload chapter 2 tomorrow bye yall have a nice day i love u


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